Institute for Continuing Education

Women and Sleep

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify and discuss sleep disorders that disproportionately affect women, including insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea, with emphasis on gender-specific presentation patterns
• Explain the physiological phenomena that make women's sleep disorders unique, including hormonal influences across the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum period, and menopause
• Analyze recent epidemiological data and research findings on women's sleep health, including prevalence rates, presentation differences, and diagnostic challenges
• Apply knowledge of sex and gender differences in sleep medicine to improve recognition, assessment, and patient education in clinical practice
• Evaluate the impact of psychosocial factors, caregiving responsibilities, and socioeconomic stressors on women's sleep health across the lifespan

Course Information

Much has been written in the past ten years relating to the differences between sleep disorders and dysfunctions among men and women. This course, which presents both popular media and scientific perspectives, focuses on those differences. We hope you find the course both informative and entertaining—something education all too often is not. Enjoy!